The Financial Aid & Scholarships office would like to welcome you to Sinclair Community College for the 2014-2015 academic year. We would also like to take this opportunity to provide you with financial aid information including important changes for the year. For more information regarding the items listed below, please access the 2014-2015 New/Returning Student Letter at www.sinclair.edu/services/finaid/ and follow the link for each item.

Below is a summary of the critical items that the Financial Aid office will communicate with you via your Sinclair email address at my.sinclair.edu.

b. Check: You can check your email at my.sinclair.edu. You are encouraged to check your email periodically for updates regarding your financial aid account. For information on how to access your Sinclair email account access the link for Guide to Your Sinclair Email and Web Advisor at the website given above.

c. Verify: To obtain an IRS Tax Return Transcript, go to www.irs.gov and click on “Order a Return or Account Transcript”, call (800) 908-9946 or submit a Form 4506-T which is available in the Financial Aid office. Be sure to request “IRS Tax Return Transcript” and not the “IRS Tax Account Transcript.”

d. Accept: Review financial aid awards on Web Advisor. All Federal student loans and the “Access Grant and Book Scholarship” must be accepted before the funds will be available to pay for tuition and/or books. For information on how to accept these awards on Web Advisor access the link for this item at the website given above and click on “Guide to Your Sinclair E-Mail and Web Advisor”.

e. Communicate: The Financial Aid office will send important communications to your my.sinclair.edu email account. Important information regarding your awards, loan cancellation options, Return of Title IV/Withdrawal Policy, Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy and other critical information will only be sent by email and you are responsible for reviewing the content of these emails. Please contact the Financial Aid office or the Communications Center if you need assistance.

2. Review of Critical Financial Aid Dates:

a. Fall Semester: Please submit your 2014-2015 FAFSA and all other required documents to the Financial Aid office by the Fall Semester Guarantee Date of July 18, 2014.

b. Fee Bill: Federal financial aid will not be applied to your student account until ten days before the start of the term. More information is available under “How to Apply for Financial Aid” at the link for this item at the website given above.

c. Book Charges: The dates to use your financial aid to purchase books in the Sinclair Bookstore are available at the link for this item at the website given above.

d. Add/Drop Policy: A student’s financial aid is determined by their enrollment status on the census date which is typically the 8th day of the full term. The policy is available at the link for this item at the website given above.

e. Summer 2015: Information regarding financial aid for summer semester is available at the link for this item at the website given above.

3. Eligibility and Maintaining Your Financial Aid:

a. Ability to Benefit: Students who do not have a high school diploma, GED, or do not meet the home school requirements, and who first enroll in a federal student aid eligible program of study on or after July 1, 2012, will not be eligible to receive federal financial aid.

b. Satisfactory Academic Progress: The Department of Education requires that the Financial Aid & Scholarships office monitor a student’s academic progress at the end of each term of enrollment while working toward a degree or certificate program. These results will be mailed electronically to your my.sinclair.edu email account. Note: The SAP policy was revised effective August, 2013. Click here for the complete policy and the appeal process.

c. Retaking Courses: Federal Financial Aid is eligible for one repetition of a previously passed course. Click here for more information about the Repeated Coursework Policy.

4. Federal Student Loans:

a. If you decide to borrow a student loan while attending Sinclair Community College, you must first accept the loan on Web Advisor. These loans must be repaid and the promissory note (legal binding contract for the loan) can be completed online. We will send you an email after loans are accepted on Web Advisor and provide a direct link to the Electronic Promissory Note.

b. If you are a new student loan borrower at Sinclair Community College, you must complete online entrance counseling. We will send you an email after loans are accepted on Web Advisor and provide a direct link for online Student Loan Entrance Counseling.

c. Also, if you are a new borrower, we are not permitted to disburse your federal loan until 30 days after you begin attending classes. Sinclair will temporarily offer funds to help with tuition, fees and books. After 30 days, the temporary funds will be removed and if you are still attending at least 6 hours, your federal student loan will be disbursed.

d. Students will be notified if they may be eligible for additional loans.

e. If eligible, students will need to receive additional loan counseling. Session dates and times can be found at the link for this item at the website given above.

ANNUAL LOAN LIMITS

Year

Dependent Student

Independent Student

First Year

$5,500 – No more than $3,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.

$9,500—No more than $3,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.

Second Year

$6,500 – No more than $4,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.

$10,500—No more than $4,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.

Maximum Total Debt from Stafford Loans When You Graduate

$31,000—No more than $23,000 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.

$57,500—No more than $23,000 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.

Note: The amounts shown in the chart are the maximum for one academic year. However, the amount offered may be less depending on the other financial aid received during the same academic year.

For additional information related to the Financial Aid process, please feel free to email us at finaid@sinclair.edu or contact the Sinclair Communications Center at 937-512-3000.

Thank you so much for your interest in Sinclair Community College and best of luck with your educational goals.